The Assembly passed a bill today that would crack down on repeat drunken drivers.
AB 1601 would allow judges to revoke the license, for up to a decade, of anyone convicted of three or more DUIs in a 10-year span. Current law allows a maximum penalty of a five-year license suspension for individuals convicted of multiple DUIs over 10 years. Repeat DUI offenders typically lose their license for a maximum of three years, according to the office of the bill's author, Assemblyman Jerry Hill.
"This legislation will save lives by keeping dangerous repeat DUI offenders off the road," Hill, of San Mateo, said in a statement. "AB 1601 targets habitual repeat DUI offenders who continue to break the law despite drug treatment programs, fines, imprisonment, and existing license revocation penalties."
The legislation approved today was a watered-down version of the bill that Hill introduced earlier this year. The original language would have allowed judges to permanently revoke the license of a driver with three or more DUIs and to look at a driver's entire record -- not just the previous 10 years -- when making a decision.
The San Mateo County Times reported that the changes were made in response to concerns that the bill would put more inmates into California's already crowded prison system, which a bill analysis estimated could cost the state $10 million a year.
The bill's opponents, including the California DUI Lawyers Association, also argued that taking away a license for life is too extreme and that license revocation wouldn't necessarily bring habitual drunken driving offenders, who often have substance abuse issues, off the road.
The bill now heads to the Senate. We looked at the statistics on repeat DUI offenders and fatal crashes in this post.
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